This invention relates generally to computer systems and, more particularly, to a novel computer system including a plurality of modular units which are readily connectable by pluggable terminals to permit quick interchangeability and/or replacement of certain units by untrained and unskilled personnel.
Conventional computer systems used in a local area network (LAN) environment, such as fast food restaurants, retail stores, airline desks, etc., often include a number of points of sale (POS) terminals or stations and a file server station serving those POS stations. To service and repair these systems, often the user is required to maintain an internal staff of skilled technicians together with an inventory of spare parts, both of which add up to a very substantial operating expense for the user. Alternatively, smaller users often rely upon independent contractors for on-site maintenance which is not only very expensive but quite often not very dependable and the systems encounter substantial downtime.
The prior art has addressed modularity in the personal computer area primarily in the direction of expansion, i.e., adding capability features or functions to a single machine. Typical proposals are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,734,874, 4,530,066, 4,918,572, and 4,527,285. Other proposals such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,036,313 and 4,388,671 address somewhat the repair and assembly of computer components. However, they do not focus primarily on maintenance and repair of computers in a LAN environment by unskilled personnel.